


Burrowing

by Anduril_Narsil549



Series: A Study of Wetness [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Don't worry this is heavy on fluff, Fluff, Gen, Hypothermia, Indirect mention of character death, Jason Todd Whump, Sickfic, kind of, no one dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26804452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anduril_Narsil549/pseuds/Anduril_Narsil549
Summary: For the fourth time in half an hour, Jason's heavy form burrowed forcefully into Bruce's side."Jay," Bruce said, voice barely more than a rumble in his chest. "You aren't going to be able to get any closer." He was sitting on the bed, arm around Jason's shoulders, his son pressed as tightly as possible to him. Honestly, he made Dick look like an amateur cuddler right now.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Jason Todd
Series: A Study of Wetness [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1954852
Comments: 10
Kudos: 344





	Burrowing

**Author's Note:**

> Every now and then I get story ideas based off a word or phrase. These stories' theme is "wet," and is a collection of different times the Batboys get wet somehow. Some fluff, some angst, each can be read alone.
> 
> Forewarning, this one has one instance of swearing because, well...Jason.

"I believe you need to have a talk with Masters Timothy and Damian, sir. They have been rather...troublesome of late, while I am attempting to finish my work."

Pinching his nose, Bruce let out a small sigh. That was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now. A string of missing people had been consuming his attention, the case taunting him as he was unable to find the pattern or any sort of lead. It was infuriating to say the least. And to add his sons' quarreling on top of it was, well...irritating.

"Alfred, I promise I will. Just not tonight."

"Very well sir."

"I take it that they are--" Bruce was cut off by the roar of a revving bike motor filling the cave.

The rev of a bike motor wasn't necessarily completely unexpected.

But the sound of a bike crashing was.

Twisting toward the sound, Bruce's eyes widened as he took in Jason's bike, skidding across the cave floor, minus its rider.

Its rider rolled twice behind it and lay still.

Bruce didn't waste time on expletives as leapt from the chair. He slid to a stop on his knees beside his son even as his heart entered his throat.

Tremors wracked Jason's body.

"Jason!" He reached to roll the man over. The cause of the tremors was painfully clear as he grabbed Jason's shoulders.

He was _soaked_. And ice cold.

The engine noise abruptly ceased as Alfred shut it off.

"He's hypothermic," Bruce shouted across the space, already pulling Jason's helmet off, then tugging the sopping jacket from his son's stiff form.

The movement elicited a gasp of pain followed by a sobbing groan.

"Jay," Bruce said urgently. "Can you hear me? Do you know where you are?"

"B?" came the moan. "B, don't let...Tim near...penguins."

Pausing in a moment of confusion, Bruce's heart faltered at the strange response. "Do you know where you are?" he repeated. He finished stripping the wet clothes and threw them aside. A quick glance over Jason told him nothing else was amiss.

"Nn, why's ev'thin' so bright?" Jason moaned as Bruce collected him in his arms and transferred him to a medical cot. He and Alfred began wrapping him in blankets. 

"Jay," Bruce said quietly, brushing wet hair off Jason's forehead even as he tucked a blanket under his son's arm. "What happened?"

Eyes dazed, Jason looked at Bruce. "You're here," he said, a smile covering his face that Bruce hadn't seen in _years_. Hadn't seen since...

He pushed that thought aside viciously, tucking the blanket with a bit more force than necessary.

"Yeah, I'm here. You'll be alright."

Jason's eyes pinched closed as a particularly fitful shiver passed through him. "Why'm I so cold?" he whispered. "I'm...I'm so cold..." And Bruce's heart clenched painfully at that tone.

At the soft fear that was in it.

"You got really wet," Bruce replied, hand once again in Jason's hair, going through it and gently working the tangles out. "And it's going to take a bit until you feel warm again."

"You'll stay with me, won't you?"

Throat closing, Bruce leaned over his son and kissed his forehead. "I won't leave."

**

For the fourth time in half an hour, Jason's heavy form burrowed forcefully into Bruce's side.

"Jay," Bruce said, voice barely more than a rumble in his chest. "You aren't going to be able to get any closer." He was sitting on the bed, arm around Jason's shoulders, his son pressed as tightly as possible to him. Honestly, he made Dick look like an amateur cuddler right now.

"'M still cold," Jason murmured. "'Nd yer warm."

Bruce couldn't argue with that. Jason still felt cold to the touch. But his shivering had lessened to almost non-existent, which made Bruce relax and think the worst was probably past.

Though, as much as it pained him to think it, he was concerned that Jason wasn't kicking him out of the cot.

"I don't want to overstay my welcome," he said, meaning for it to be an open offer. He didn't expect the vehement reaction he got of Jason throwing an arm across his chest and glaring out of one eye, the other hidden where his face was pressed against Bruce's torso.

"You get up and I'll make your life shit," Jason muttered.

Bruce hid his smile. That was confirmation enough that Jason was actually going to be alright.

"You already do," Bruce shot back.

"Watch it old man. You don't know half the things I refrain from doing because I respect Alfred too much."

Bruce was about to reply that he had no doubt about it when Jason made another attempt at burrowing deeper.

"What's all this about not letting Tim near penguins?" Bruce asked instead, wondering if there was something more to Jason's earlier statement other than simply being a symptom of hypothermia.

"Uh, nothing," Jason said, a little too quickly. "Not sure what you're talkin' about."

"Mhmm." Bruce resolved to dig a bit into the matter, but later. He wasn't really sure he wanted to know about it.

At Jason's nose pressing uncomfortably into his chest, Bruce shifted to look at Jason's face. "Do you want some hot packs?"

"Nah." Jason took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Bruce's hold around his shoulder involuntarily tightened at the contented sound. It pained him that things weren't this way more often.

"You're good enough," Jason said, tucking his head down again. "Wouldn't want to bother Alfred."

Bruce did smile, now that Jason couldn't see it and be angry. "Indeed you wouldn't," he said softly as Jason's soft breath turned deep and sleepy, and finally into a soft snore. Bruce let his head rest against the pillow he was propped up on, relieved and content, as his own breathing followed Jason's lead.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! I would love to hear any feedback!


End file.
